“We wanted to have a good life, not just a good job…”

That’s a quote from former accountant Paul Terhorst. He and his wife Vicki both retired in 1988 at age 35. And neither was a multimillionaire. Forbes reports the couple decided to become “perpetual travelers.”

That means they sold most of their possessions (they own 10 boxes, four data files, and no car) and began to travel the world on the cheap. Many places on earth—from Argentina to Australia (and 80 other countries at different times)—afforded the couple a far cheaper cost of living than an equivalent life in the United States. This has meant three decades of “retirement” for the couple.

Forbes caught up with them in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It’s ranked one of the top retirement locales on the planet. The couple pays $450 per month for rent. Their total cost of living is less than $100 per day, most days. The article doesn’t say how much money they’d banked to start their retirement, but it was modest.

They’ve financed their lifestyle through a combination of long-term “buy-and-hold” stock investments and by doing some side work during their travels. Paul writes (and Vicki edits) a column for Overseas Retirement Letter as its Asia correspondent.

Paul and Vicki’s promise of 60 years of retirement may sound extraordinary. But it’s not. It’s a lifestyle available to most Americans. You may not believe it, but most Americans can retire next year. It may require an “unconventional” view of retirement… but as Paul and Vicki will tell you, that doesn’t make the days of freedom any less enjoyable. To learn more, read our next item…